O-line will still have chance to gel
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Welcome to the Pitt football Q&A. We will answer questions daily between now and the end of the season. You can also follow the Panthers progress every day in our Pitt blog called the Redshirt Diaries.
Q: If neither Tristan Roberts or Greg Williams steps up and solidifies themselves as the starter, what are your thoughts on moving Shayne Hale back to linebacker?
Caden Truitt, New Bethelem, Pa.
ZEISE: Absolutely not. He isn't athletic enough or fast enough to play linebacker, which is why he was moved to defensive end in the first place. He really needs to step it up this camp because thy need him to be a productive back-up and then fill one of the two spots next year when both Jabaal Sheard and Greg Romeus graduate. If Roberts and/or Williams don't get it done, my pick would be either Shane Gordon or Carl Fleming because those two guys can run and will hit somebody.
Q: Wasn't the offensive line taking a beating early in camp last year? Obviously, very few people in the country could block Mick Williams, let alone Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard all together. And it seemed that when Myles Caragein and Chas Alecxih were in real games last year there was no substantial drop off. And it seemed that last years group seemed to come together under the leadership of Tony Wise, why should we think that this year's group won't do well?
Blaise Novotny, Ebensburg, Pa.
ZEISE: OK, let's take a look at a few things. Yes, the offensive line struggled early in camp -- because three of the starters were coming off major surgeries and hadn't played in the spring and a fourth, Lucas Nix, had very little actual experience going into the season. But once they got into camp and got settled in, they began to show improvement and got better as the season progressed. And I don't know that I'd compare that group -- which had John Malecki, Robb Houser and Joe Thomas -- three established veterans who had played a lot of games and had proven they could be productive players prior to last season -- to this group which includes Greg Gaskins, Alex Karabin and Chris Jacobson who, combined, have one career start. We knew last year's group would come together, we have no idea what we are dealing with this year. And I also would be remiss if I didn't remind you that Greg Romeus has not played, Mick Williams and Gus Mustakas are gone and thus the competition for the offensive line is not nearly what it was last year. I'm not saying that the line can't or won't come together, I'm saying there is far more reason to worry about it this year than there was last year.
Q: Can Tino Sunseri push the Panthers to a BCS bowl that they should have had last year?
John Awdy, Pittsburgh
ZEISE: I think so, but it won't be easy because there are a lot of factors that go beyond the quarterback. But if you are asking me is Tino Sunseri capable of winning football games for Pitt, my answer is yes. I think he has a chance to be a very productive player and he has a little bit of that swagger, borderline cockiness, that the quarterbacks who are winners seem to have. Pitt can win with him.
First Published August 14, 2010 12:00 am
